Match feeding mechanism



Nov. 28, 1933.

M. PARIDON MATCH FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 5l, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l M. PARlDoN 1,937,161

MATCH FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 51, 1952 s sheets-sheet 2 Nov. 28, 1933.

ci-O71 reeva/ j 4 Mic/@1651@ Filed Aug. 5l, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 w 2 .v JO- Patented Nov. 2.8, 1933 1,937,161 n MATCH FEEDING MECHANISM Michaelf -Pal'idomA Barberton,l Ohio, assignor to The? Diamond Match Company, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of v Maryland Applicate@ August l31,v 1932. serial No. l631,119 v 'A cclaimsl (o1. 19a-20).@ Y

This invention` relatesto mechanism for feeding matches'rin Vandorderly manner'llgto'va match conveyer, such, lfor examplebas is r`employed amatch` packeting machine. -V K n The principal object-vof theinvention is to provide simple and efcient means` whereby rows'of single .-matches, --in spaced parallel relation, are successively discharged from a-hopper and accurately seated anintermittently n movable match kconveyer .di'rectly yunderlying .the hopper in such manner as to ensuregauniformfand uninter` rupted supply of matches to thev conveyer.

With this and other objects in View the invention Y comprises 4novel features rof construction andcombinationswof parts which, ina preferred form, will be hereinafter` described;4 the scope Y 'of the` invention then beingexpressed. in the vrap'- pended claims.

In thedrawings j y Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of` a match: packetingmachine" equipped with' match feeding .mechanism embodying ,my invention;y

Fig. 2 isatransverse .vertical'section in a'plane,

through themat h supplyfhopperjas on' the line `gft-2 ofrigjij." p

Y Fig.' 3 isa'similar,sectionin' aplane'adjacent the Aconyeyer` actuating1 ,rx`i`ec`hanism,v asfon thev line 3-3'of Fi'gijfi isa similarsection adjacent the hopper as on'the linee-4 ofEigf'l i Fig. 5-is` al ng'itudinalvertical section in a plane' throughfa portionof"thefl'iopperi'l showing the reciprocating match transfer platefjas posi-vk tioned t0 dell@- faJQW 'f spaced parallel" matches in m' 'ch"refceiv gggro'oves'in the 'underlying f6 a similarsection,showing: the transfer "receive j'asucceeding row of spain-1din'ai'gclfil rornlthehopper preparatory totheir dliver VIA'to {Ihezgrooves ofthe underlying FigffLapern riongimdinn section oft-thehopp'erf .andfadjuri s` showing'alsection'of the conveyer v:as A fully,k supplied'V with" matches `when suchsefctionpasses fromv beneath the hoppen Fig.` f8`i's1`afper's'p ve'view'of a ,p0rtio'n`.'of the transfer-vrr'ila'te.v

Referringlt thedrawings', I10 designatesaV suitrtingframe-'comprising a'table 11 and ing suppersnrface'a serieis`of,.say,`ten, transversely-extending uniformly-spaced n 'parallelv their'heads pointing in the saine direction. The A Vbottoni of the hopperis providedwith'uniformly' vspaced Vslots 26 extending transversely thereof,n n

grooves 14 for `the reception of a row of single V matches extending transversely of the co'nv'eyerlf-r Thechain is supported and guided at the respec`-`l tive lendsy of the vtatie by suitably-disposed" sprocket wheels, oneY of which is 'shown at 15 (Fig. "1), the upperhorizontal run of the conveyer being arranged to travel in a longitudinal guidewayfl onthe table and 'being intermit- `1` tentlyimpelled.

In the "presentil instance a suitably-disposed sprocket'wheelV4 y1"'7, which extends throughfan opening in the` table, engages the pivotal lugVv connections Y18 of the'adjacent-links of thefc'onveyer, Vthev wheel being fast on a transverse shaft` 19 which has its bearings in hangers 20 beneath' 4vthe bed. Fasten the shaft 19 is a pin wheel 21 '.'Withthe'pins 22 of which engages a Worm "cam 23 on thedrive'fshaft'Zl'of the machine, the contour of the'cam andithe yrelative positions of the' pins being suchthat the wheel 21 is intermittently rotated' with uniform stepsof suflicient amplitude to effect through'the described sprocket` gearingl successive movements off the ,conveyeri 25 designates a khopper whichv overhangs the path of the conveyer adjacentone end of the table,"and .whichhopperV isi constructed to contain a mass of matches lin substantial parallelism] lying transversely ofthe Vcon'veyer and having the dimensions of each slot being' such a'sto permit a single match lying longitudinally of and over the slot to pass freely therethrough. The bottom of the hopperis. beveled, as at'2'7, between adjacent'slots 26 to provide flared or V- shaped entrances to the respective s1otsthus ,facilitating the passage of the matches to the slots. In thepresent instance the distance between the centers of two adjacent Aslots is equal tov that occupied by four' successive grooves in the match conveyerffor a'purpose hereinafter described.-

' The hopperis preferably supported by 4a pair of spaced rearwardly `extending arms 28 which are pivoted lat their outer ends, as at 29, on-

brackets j 30 on the table, and which arms are providedV on their under surfaces withinsertsl 31V d' 'which rest-on a pair-of peripherally serratedv or notched wheels Y32 fast on suitably-disposed shafts 33 vumlerlying the respective arms. Fast on the rearward ends Yof the shafts 33 are bevel respective ends vfof a longitudinally extending shaft 36 v'rhioh'has vsecuredthereto.'a sprocket gears 34 in mesh with similar gears 35 on the wheel 37 that is connected by means of a chain 38 with a similar wheel 39 fast on the main shaft 24. During the operation of the main shaft the motion is transmitted therefrom to the shaft 36, thence to the shaft 33 and the wheels 32 thereon, which wheels impart short rapid vertical vibrations to the arms 28 and the hopper 25 in a manner to agitate and settle the matches within the latter. l

Supported immediately above the path of the upper run of the conveyer beneath the hopper is a stationary horizontal bed comprising a plate 40 provided with uniformly spaced slots 41 which extend transversely of the plate in alternation with the bottom slots 26 of the hopper and in vertical alignment with correspondingly spaced grooves 14 of the conveyer duringeach dwell of the latter. The dimensions of each Yslot'41 of the bed plate are such as to permit a single matchf` when it is properly presented theretoY to pass freely through the slot into the underlying groove of the conveyer. In thepresent instance thebed plate is` supported at its longitudinal edgespby a pair of spaced angle members 42 fastened tov the top of thetable.v These members also serve as a guide for the conveyer at the hopper.

Interposed between the bed plate 40 and the slottedbottom of the hopper is a horizontal longitudinally-reciprocative match transfer element comprising a plate 43 which is slidably mounted in suitable guideways provided by gibs 44 at the respective longitudinal edges of the plate 40. The

transfer plate 43 has transversely-extending*VV slots45 which correspond in size and form with the bottom and bed slots and are arranged in such spaced relation that the slots 45 are in alternate registry with the'bottom vand bed slots at each limit of motion of the transfer plate, and hence the registering relation Vof the slots 45 to the bottom and bed slots is interchanged during each stroke of the transfer plate, as seen in Figs.

5 and 6. l n

The transfer plate ,43 is reciprocated longitudinally ofY the intermittently moving conveyer in such timed relation thereto that during each step of, the conveyer the alternate slots of the transfer plate are moved firstinto registry with the respective bottom slots 26 of the hopper toj receive a supply of single matches from the latter and permit them to rest on the surface of the bed plate (as seen in Fig. 5), and then into registry with the respective slots 41 of thev bed plate 40 to advance the segregated row of matches on the 'bed plate and position them over the slots 41, at which time the conveyer is at rest with the grooves of thev conveyer also in registry with the slots 41, thus the matches drop singly and in parallelism through the bed slots 41 into the respective underlying grooves of the conveyer, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6. y

As the upper run of the'conveyer is intermittently impelled in its path beneaththe hopper kthev lledtransverse grooves in the upper surface of the conveyer progress below and beyond the successiveslots 41 of the bed plate 40, and the empty grooves of the conveyer are presented atregular intervals to the slots 41 and thereby suppliedV with matches,-one match in each groove-, the relation of the grooves and `slots being such that after a series, say three of the conveyer links have passed beyond the hopper each succeeding link carries in its grooves (as seen in Fig. 7) a complete charge of matches in proper position for further operations, as

for example, packeting.

In the present instance one end of the transfer plate 43 is provided with an upstanding lug 46 which is pivotally connected by means of a link 47 with an upstanding lever 48 fulcrumed, as at 49, on a suitably-disposed hanger 50 beneath the table. The lever has thereon a laterally projecting pin or roll 51 which vis operatively fitted in the circumferential race of a rcam 52 fast on ashort horizontal shaft 53 having its bearings lin spaced' brackets 54 and 55 beneath v'tl1e"'t`able. This shaft has fast thereon a gear 56 in meshwith agear 57 on a lower parallel shaft 58 having its bearings in the bracket 54 and in a bracket 59 adjacent the pin-wheel shaft 19.Y Theflatter shaft has fast thereon a bevel gear 60 in mesh with av similar gear 61 on the adjacent endof the shaft 19. By this arrangement of gearing motion is'transrnitted from the 'shaft 1-9-t0 the shaft 53 in a manner to rotate the cam 52 and thereby effect the oscillation of thelever 48 and the'horilzontal reciprocation A of the transfer plate 43; the ratio of the gearing `limited to the particular construction herein dis# closed as the mechanisms may be variously modined withinV the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I clairnL parallel supporting portions for single matches extending .transversely of the conveyer,r a match supporting bed overlying the conveyer and having 1. In combination with anintermittently moy-wv able conveyer having'a succession of spaced transverse openings for the passage and guidancey f Y spaced parallel relation above the bed, an ele-v v of succeeding groups of single matches in parallelism with the adjacent match supporting ponr-v 115 21.

ment ,for positioningeach of said groups inthe" respective spaces between and in parallelism with the openings of the bed, andl means for effecting relative longitudinal movement between said element and bed 'to present thel ksingle matches of each succeeding group parallelly to the respective openings of the bed in timed relationk to the travel of the conveyer.

2. In combination with an intermittentlymovable conveyer having a succession of spacedv parallelY supporting` portions` for single matchesy extending transversely of the conveyer, a match supporting bed overlying the conveyer and having transverse openings for the passage and guida ance of succeeding groups of single matches` in parallelism with the adjacent match supporting portions of the conveyer, the space between adjacent openings spanning a series of the supporting portions of the conveyer, a hopperhaving parallel bottom slots therein for delivering succeeding groups of single matches in spaced parallel relation above the bed, an element for positioningreach of said groups in the respective spaces between and in parallelism with the open' ings of the bed, and means for effecting relative longitudinal movement between said element and bed to present the single matches of each succeeding group parallelly to the respective openings of the bed in timedrelation tothe travel of the conveyer.

n 3. In combination with an intermittently movable conveyer having a succession of spaced parallel supporting portions for single matches extending transverselyv of theconveyer, a match supporting bed overlying the conveyer and having transverse openings for the passage and guidance of succeeding groups of single matches in parallelism with the adjacent match supporting portions of the conveyer, the space between adjacent openings spanning a series of the supporting portions of the conveyer, a hopper having parallel bottom slots in staggered relation with the openings in the bed for delivering succeeding groups of single matches in spaced parallel relation above the bed,an element for positioning Y each of said groups in the respective spaces between and in parallelism with the openings of the bed, and means for effecting relative longitudinal movement between said element and bed to present the single matches of each succeeding group,

parallelly to the respective openings of the bed in timed'relation to the travel of the conveyer.

' 4.' In combination with an intermittently movable conveyer having a succession of parallel grooves for single matches extending transversely of the conveyer, a bed overlying the conveyer and having a series of slots in parallelism with the said grooves, the space between adjacent slots spanning a series of the grooves, means for delivering succeeding groups of single matches in spaced parallel relation above the bed, an element overlying said bed and reciprocative longitudinally of the conveyer, said element constructed to receive succeeding rows of individual matches and position the matches of each row on the bed in parallelism and in alternation with the slots of the bed and then to shift the supported matches to the mouths of the adjacent slots ofthe bed, and means for operating said element in timed relation to the conveyer whereby` in each succeeding dwell of the conveyer a series of single matches are delivered through the slots of the bed to the grooves of the conveyer in registry with said slots.

5. In combination with an intermittently movable conveyer having a succession of parallell grooves'for single matches extending transverselongitudinally of theconveyer, said element having spaced parallel slots therein for receiving the matches delivered by the hopper and positioning them on the bed in alternation with the slots of the latter and then shifting the supported matches to the mouths of the adjacent slots of the bed, and means for operating said element in timed relation to the conveyer whereby in each succeeding dwell of the conveyer a series of single matches are delivered through the .slots of the bed to the grooves of the'conveyer lin registry with the slots of the bed. t

6. Infcombination with an intermittently movable conveyer having a succession of closely spaced parallel portionsfor the support of single matches extending transversely of the conveyer, a match supply hopper overhanging said conveyer and including a bottom with agseries of relatively widely spaced slots in parallelism with the'said match supporting portions, each slot of a size and form for the free passage and guidance therethrough of asingle match, a bed overlying the conveyer beneath the hopper and having a series of parallel slots corresponding in number with the said bottom slots and alternating therewith, a reciprocative transfer member interposed between the hopper and bed, said member having a suc-v registry with the bottom and bed slots at the limit v of eachstroke of said member, and means for reciprocating said member longitudinally of and in timed relation to the conveyer, whereby in each succeeding dwell of the conveyer a series of single matches are delivered through the slots of the bed to the match supporting portions of the conveyer in registry with the slots of the bed.

' MICHAEL PARIDON. 

